Can You Play Pickleball With Two People? Yes—Play Singles

Yes. Two people can play pickleball as singles: one player on each side of the net. You do not need four players or a doubles partner. Singles uses the same full court as doubles, with the same basic serving, bounce and Kitchen rules. USA Pickleball’s rules summary confirms both formats.

You’ll need one paddle each, a pickleball and a court with a pickleball net. If you want a game, play singles. If you want a gentler introduction or practice for doubles, use a cooperative partner drill instead.

How to start a two-person game

Choose who serves first using any fair method. For a straightforward first game, agree to traditional side-out scoring: play to 11, win by two, and only the server can score. Rally scoring is another format, so agree on the method before starting. USA Pickleball explains both scoring systems.

Here is the singles sequence:

1. Start at 0–0. Call your score first, then your opponent’s. Singles uses two numbers—not the doubles opening call of 0–0–2.
2. Serve from the right at an even score, including zero. Serve from the left at an odd score. Use your own score to choose the side.
3. Serve diagonally from behind the baseline into the opposite service box, beyond the Kitchen line. A serve touching that line is a fault.
4. If you win the rally while serving, add one point and serve from the other side.
5. If you lose the rally while serving, your opponent serves. Under side-out scoring, neither score changes. There is no second server on your side.

These serving and score-call basics are covered in USA Pickleball’s how-to-play guide. For the serving motion and full foot-position checklist, see our serve guide.

For example, you serve at 0–0 from the right and win the rally. You now call 1–0 and serve from the left. If you lose that rally, your opponent calls 0–1 and serves from their right.

The bounce and Kitchen rules still apply

Having only two players does not remove either of these rules:

• The serve must bounce before the receiver hits it. The return must bounce before the server hits it. After those two required bounces, either player may volley—hit the ball before it bounces—or play it off a bounce.
• You cannot volley while touching the Kitchen or its line. The Kitchen is the non-volley zone extending seven feet from the net on each side. Your volley momentum cannot carry you into it, either. You may enter the Kitchen to play a ball that has bounced.

Both requirements apply in singles and doubles. See the official rules summary or our step-by-step explanation of the two-bounce rule.

Want less running? Practice the soft game together

In full-court singles, you cover the width without a partner. For a smaller practice area, try this cooperative drill rather than changing the singles rules:

• Setup: Stand opposite each other just behind the Kitchen lines, using one straight-ahead lane.
• Action: Gently feed the ball into your partner’s Kitchen. Let each shot bounce, then send a soft shot—a dink—back into the opposite Kitchen.
• Checkpoint: Aim for ten consecutive shots that land in the Kitchen. Count controlled placements, not just contacts. Reset the count when a shot goes into the net or beyond your target.

This lets two players practice touch without covering the full court. When you’re ready for competitive play, use our singles rules guide to check serving positions and scoring.